Liverpool make decision on bizarre Minteh deal as full injury timeline revealed
Liverpool have decided whether they will press ahead with their move for Yankuba Minteh after a trusted journalist disclosed the Brighton winger’s full injury timescale.
Liverpool have already signed Spanish winger Victor Munoz this summer, but they want to hand new head coach Andoni Iraola two more wide attacking options in the final week of the transfer window. Bradley Barcola remains Liverpool’s top target, while they have also entered talks for Minteh.
The Reds recently opted to pursue Minteh over Barcola’s Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye.
So far, Liverpool have seen bids for Minteh worth £50million and £60m rejected by Brighton. Liverpool are currently weighing up whether to increase their bid to around £65-70m. Brighton’s asking price is understood to be £70m.
According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Minteh will be out of action for ‘2-3 months’, but Liverpool are – bizarrely – still chasing him, regardless.
‘Negotiations between Liverpool and Brighton for Yankuba Minteh are still ongoing,’ Plettenberg wrote on X.
‘Understand the 22 y/o winger is expected to need another 2-3 months to be fully match-fit after his injury. That’s the current prognosis.
‘#LFC still really want him, as the left-footed winger can play from the right and has a profile similar to Mo Salah.’
Liverpool dropping up to £70m on an injured winger is a mind-boggling decision considering there are other options who would be able to make an immediate impact in Iraola’s new project.
Forcing Iraola to cope without a second new winger such as Minteh could seriously affect the coach’s chances of getting off to a good start at Anfield.
Liverpool plot £65m bid for Yankuba Minteh
Ben Jacobs has revealed Liverpool are ‘deciding today’ whether to launch a new bid for the Gambian.
“With Minteh, they held some talks over the weekend. They’re deciding today; so it could change any minute and very quickly whether they want to make a third bid,” he said.
“If they go to £70m, it’ll be a done deal, according to Brighton sources. My sense is Liverpool might consider £65m first. That was discussed at the weekend, but I think if Liverpool bid one more time it’ll almost be a final bid, because they’ve got other options [like] Ibrahim Mbaye.
“But PSG want €70m [£59.8m], which is still equivalent to Minteh. So, they’ve got two options now at roughly the same price. But my expectation is that it’s Barcola plus one.”
We can reveal that Liverpool have no intention of selling Cody Gakpo this summer even though Manchester City have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race for his services.
Liverpool are now edging closer to striking a full agreement with PSG for Barcola, our sources have revealed.
